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Case necks collapsing when seating bullet

rock,roll,n,loadrock,roll,n,load Member Posts: 698 ✭✭✭✭
edited January 2007 in Ask the Experts
Hi, maybe you guy's can help me out. I am trying to load some .338-06 rounds and I am running into a problem. When I try to seat the bullet, it goes in about 1/8" then the neck collapses. I am using Federal .270 brass, ran them through RCBS dies. Trimmed them to the correct lenght, chamfered and deburred the cases. I miked the bullets, they are .338" I miked the ID of the sized case and they are running .335"-.336" The sizing die runs .337" The case wall thickness is running .015" I am making sure the bullet is square before seating. Should I lube the bullet before seating? Do the necks need to be turned? I have done a good bit of loading including Wildcat's and never had this problem before. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks, Jim (jmh7@atlanticbb.net)
P.S. I tryed a few rounds made from .30-06 brass and run into the same problem.

Comments

  • B17-P51B17-P51 Member Posts: 2,268 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have no actual experience with the particular case in question, but I believe the problem lies in the use of the .270 brass, instead of using 30-06. Any thinness in the neck area wil be doubly compounded in stretching the neck that far. It is true all necks have a spot that is thinner than the rest, but an .06 neck will not be as thin as .270 neck in that spot after stretching. My 2c.You may also try posting on the RELOADING forum.
  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have never reloaded for this caliber, but my understanding is when you resize brass for different cartridges. Specially trying to open it up from a .277 dia. cartridge to .338 dia. It has a tendency to work harden. I believe the standard recommendation is to anneal the neck area only to alleviate this problem.
  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    back your seating die body out a turn, and run your seating stem down to make up the difference. I'll bet your die body is pushing the shoulder back so much, it collapses the neck at the base of the neck at the shoulder junction.

    I was crushing 6.5-06AI's when I first loaded for the rifle and couldn't figure out why,...it was the seater die body. Wish I knew that ahead of losing a handful of Lapua brass[V]
  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You could also try a .001" larger expanding button.
  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,163 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've been using 35 whelen brass necked down for my 338/06 and haven't had any problems. The suggestion to adjust the seater die might fix it and you might try some boattails. I wouldn't think annealing would help since the problem indicates the brass is already pretty soft. .277 up to .338 is pretty radical but you had the same prob with 30/06 so the dies may be the problem.
  • rock,roll,n,loadrock,roll,n,load Member Posts: 698 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey guys,
    Problem solved. Apparently it WAS operator error and the die was adjusted wrong. I backed off on the seating die and it worked fine. I guess the die body was pushing it back. So I went back to square one and started from scratch, setting everything over and now producing good reloads. The .270 brass and the '06 brass both work fine. Thanks for the help!
    Jim
  • PinheadPinhead Member Posts: 1,485 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey, glad it worked out for you. I was doing some research to see if I could duplicate the problem and could not on properly adjusted dies. I have been known to neck up and down in the past and have never had any problems as long as the dies were adjusted right. Take care.
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